Boys and girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other.
Those wishing to join the Inquisitorial Squad for extra credit…
Students will be submitted to questioning about suspected illicit activities. Any student in noncompliance will be expelled.
These announcements had been going all day between classes. It was maddening to hear the same stupid rules over and over again. Makoto and Rei walked through the halls with Lellian, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. "There has to be something we can do," Harry muttered as they walked.
"Harry, you did everything you could." Lellian said, placing a hand on her brothers shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"No one could win against that old hag." Hermione agreed.
"Even Dumbledore didn't see this coming." Rei folded her arms over her chest.
"Harry, if it's anyone's fault, it's ours." Ron nodded in agreement with Makoto.
"Yeah, we talked you into it."
"Yeah, but I agreed. I tried so hard to help, and all it's done is make things worse." Lellian frowned at Harry. "Anyway, that doesn't matter anymore. Because I don't want to play anymore. All it does is make you care too much. And the more you care, the more you have to lose. So maybe it's just better to…" Her eyes narrowed as they stopped in the court yard. Why was he talking like this!?
"To what?" No one said anything as Lellian demanded an answer from her brother. "To what, Harry?"
"To go it alone." Before Lellian could answer back, Hermione looked past them at the sound of a sharp 'psst!'
"Hagrid?" The group of teens looked towards Hagrid, who motioned for the usual group of four to follow him.
"Must be something important."
"We'll see you back in the common room." Nodding, the four teens parted from Makoto and Rei as they hurried after Hagrid.
They walked for sometime in silence. No one saying a word as they entered the Forbidden Forest. Wondering further and further into the dark before Harry finally spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Hagrid!" Harry called after him. Trying to get his attention.
"Any idea where he's taking us?" Lellian whispered to her brother. Harry shook his head and called out again.
"Hagrid, why can't you just tell us?" The group came to a sudden stop and kept a good distance as they saw Centaurs racing through the woods. Holding spears and yelling. Looking less than friendly from the first time Harry and Lellian had seen one.
"I've never seen the centaurs so riled. And they're dangerous at the best of times. The Ministry restricts their territory much more they'll have a full uprising on their hands."
"Hagrid, what's going on?" Hermione asked. Hoping he would answer.
"I'm sorry to be so mysterious, you four. I wouldn't be bothering you at all with it, but with Dumbledore gone I'll likely be getting the sack any day now."
"Don't say that Hagrid. We wont let that happen." Lellian said frowning. Hagrid smiled a little at her.
"I just couldn't leave without telling someone about him." Him, they wondered. Who could their friend be speaking of? The group continued to follow the gentle giant and were rather stunned when they came upon a rather large giant tethered to a tree. "Grawpy. Down here, you great buffoon. Grawpy." The giant looked down and seemed almost excited to see Hagrid. "Brought you some company." Hagrid gave a smile then turned to the group of teens. "I couldn't just leave him, because…Because he's my brother."
"Blimey." Ron breathed while the others nodded in agreement.
"Well, half brother, really. He's completely harmless, just like I said. Little high-spirited, is all." That was when Grawpy reached out towards the group of teens, who moved back quick as they could. Lellian, however, seemed unlucky when she nearly stumbled over Hermione and was scooped up by Grawpy with a startled scream. "Grawpy, that is not polite."
"Hagrid, do something!"
"We talked about this. You do not grab, do you?" Hagrid scolded. "That's your new friend, Lellian." He gave a firm stare that didn't seem to be getting through. "Grawpy."
"Grawp." Lellian said firmly. Narrowing her eyes as she pointed at him like she was scolding a child. "Put me down. Now." Grawp frowned and looked just a little ashamed as he carefully moved forward and set Lellian down on the ground. Smoothing out her clothes, she smiled a little.
"You all right?" Harry asked, worried. Lellian looked at him and smiled.
"Fine. Just needs a firm hand, is all." She said, blinking as Grawp took out front handlebars of a bike with a bell. He chimed the bell once then handed it to Lellian. She took it with a bit of a hesitation.
"I think you've got an admirer." Murmured Ron, sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes and nudged him hard in the stomach while Lellian rang the bell. Watching Grawp smile and clap.
"You just stay away from her, all right?"
"He gets his own food and all. It's company he'll be needing when I'm gone. You will look after him, won't you? I'm the only family he's got."
Lellian chimed the bell again and gave it back to Grawp to play with as she looked to Hagrid.
"We'll take care of him. Promise."